Maybe you know everything that I'm going to suggest already, but I'll throw out a few ideas for you on making better photos. If you already know them, I apologize.
You're having some trouble with focus, and there are two things that will help that problem.
First, if your camera allows you to adjust the aperture (f-stop), you need to use the highest f-stop that doesn't slow the shutter speed too much. Higher f-stops result in more of what they call "depth of field." In other words, the distance from the lens that is in focus is greater. You'll still need to have a fast enough shutter speed that you don't blur the photo with motion, but increasing depth of field fixes some problems.
Secondly, if your camera decides where it's going to focus, you need to try to disable that feature and have it focus on a spot that you choose. With my camera, that spot is the middle of the field of view. If I need the focus to be on something that isn't going to be in the middle of the field of view in my picture, I'll hold the shutter button halfway down with my subject in the middle until the camera focuses at the distance that I want. If I keep the shutter halfway down, the focus will stay locked. I can then shift the camera until the picture is framed as I'd like it to be and press the shutter button the rest of the way. This technique gives me the shot framed as I'd like it and focused where it needs to be.
On the color issue, the whole problem may be nothing more than the adjustment of your monitor. I have a friend who's researched digital photography pretty thoroughly, and he tells me that monitors are all over the place in how they render color. He actually bought some software and hardware that would adjust his monitor to provide true color on the screen. He now can see on his screen exactly what he saw in real life and in his prints. I'm not saying that this equipment is worth your money, but you might look at making some rough monitor adjustments on your own.
Bill
